Better Bets

Vinyl and linoleum are durable and waterproof, and come in a wide range of styles. Some of those styles make more sense than others. Tiles come in a variety of sizes and looks, and are easy to install.

You do, however, still run into some potential problems because of the seams between tiles and there is really no way to seal them against moisture.

Sheet vinyl or linoleum is a better bet, because you get the same moisture resistance and durability without the seams.

True Tile

While linoleum and vinyl tiles are sealed with glue, other tiles are sealed with grout.

Ceramic or stone tiles are an excellent choice for showers, pools and bathtubs. They are durable, water-resistant and look great.

One thing to keep in mind with this style is that having grout means cleaning grout, which can get tiresome depending on the amount of tile you have.

Best of the Best

So what’s your absolute, hands-down, ultimate top choice when it comes to bathroom flooring?

That’s right. Concrete.

If you are reading this and picturing a bathroom floor that looks a lot like your driveway, hold that thought. Today, concrete flooring is an increasingly popular choice, because it’s durable, can be sealed against water and is available in a variety of colors and tints.

And a concrete flooring doesn’t have to mean hard and cold. You can still install radiant heaters that warm the floor. Plus, throw rugs are a thing. And unlike carpet, you can pick them up and toss them in the wash if they get funky! Call it the best, with benefits.

Remodeling your bathroom brings a lot of tough decisions. Bath or shower? (Or combo?) What style of sink or vanity? Planning to paint? What color? Should you get new fixtures? Upgrade the toilet? (And is it worth the extra cost for self-cleaning?) How are you going to decorate?

And if that weren’t enough pressure, what are you going to do about the floor?

We can’t help with budgeting decisions, and many of the other choices are a matter of personal taste. But we can help with the flooring! We’ve got a two-part list, via Horizon Services, of bathroom flooring options ranked from worst to best!

Worst of the Worst

When it comes to bad choices for the bathroom floor, carpet is the worst of the worst. In fact, when we think of bathroom carpeting, two words come to mind.

EEEWWWWWWWWW!!

All right, that’s only one word. But it’s the right word.

Thanks to a combination of moisture and heating, mold and mildew will thrive, making your floor constantly damp and giving the whole room a dank, musty smell.

That’s what your bathroom carpet really looks like, on a microscopic level. Would almost make you want a shower… if you didn’t have to step out onto the carpet.

What About Wood?

While wood floors are popular, and aesthetically pleasing, they aren’t a good choice for the bathroom.

Parquet and tongue and groove floors are particularly ill suited for a damp bathroom; excess moisture will eventually cause the wood to warp and crack.

Laminate stands up better on the surface, but water can get through the cracks and seams to gather in the under-layer of the flooring. Engineered wood may be serviceable in a powder room or rarely used bathroom, but it won’t stand up to regular use in a main bathroom.

Wood reacts predictably when exposed to moisture, and it will eventually warp and support fungal growth.

We’ve covered the worst options when it comes to bathroom flooring. Click here for part two, with the best choices for your bathroom floor!

If you’re remodeling for your own convenience and pleasure, what’s most important is what you want. If you’re doing it for the purpose of selling your home, you’ll need to put some thought into what buyers like… and what they hate.

Room-Devouring Bathtubs

Bathtubs are like cats. People seem to love them or hate them. There’s a recent trend to do away with the tub altogether in favor of large, luxurious showers. There’s also a current trend for stand-alone soaking tubs. And while shower people and bath people can’t seem to agree on which is better, almost everyone agrees that giant bathtubs are over.

OK, we’re exaggerating… a little.

But if you’ve ever walked into an 80’s or early 90’s bathroom and come face to face with a “garden tub”, you know what we mean. These things have STEPS to get into and out of them! Like a pool! And they take up some serious real estate, considering they’re usually in the smallest room in the house.

Medicine Cabinets

Open shelving is trending, and the bathroom is no exception. Storing small items can be easy with baskets or boxes on the shelves, and it looks nice.

If you’re planning a remodel, go for oversized framed mirrors over the sink with shelving on the side, and skip that bulky medicine cabinet.

On the plus side, this will also mean no more snoopy houseguests rooting through your medicine cabinet.

Statement Colors

There are a whole world of options between white and black. Choose your palette carefully if you’re hoping to sell.

Everyone’s taste is different. When you’re choosing paint colors, try to infuse a bit of personality without overdoing it.

And, yes… you can paint a new color over the old one. But extremely dark or bold colors can be a challenge to cover, making a transition frustrating. Choose soft neutrals, or muted colors. And if the bathroom already makes a statement with its color palette, consider repainting before you put your house on the market.

What do you think? Any design trends you hate (or love) that would influence you on a home purchase? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re designing a new bathroom for your own use, you can let your own tastes and requirements rule the day. If you’re upgrading or updating with an eye toward selling your home, you’ll want to make choices that appeal to potential buyers instead. We’ve got some tips, via CheatSheet.com, on trends buyers hate.

Minimalism

Minimalist style is visually striking, but not terribly practical for most people.

Everyone has stuff they need to store in the bathroom. Toothbrushes, blow dryers, lotions, extra toilet paper — you can stash it all away neatly, but first you need to make sure the storage space exists.

Cabinets, drawers, even shelves with baskets; a bathroom must have practical storage.

Wood Floors

Hardwood is the flooring of choice for most homeowners, and that trend has been continuing into bathrooms. But sadly, wood and water don’t mix.

A wooden bathroom floor is beautiful, but will not last. If you want the look, check into faux wood tile.

Whiteout

White on white on white in a bathroom has long been popular because it looks clean. But a spotless white bathroom is a lot of work.

White bathrooms may look fantastic the minute you finish cleaning them, but the rest of the time they’re difficult to keep clean. For most busy families, a white bathroom just isn’t a practical option, and homebuyers are taking notice.

Still, white bathrooms are top sellers, so break up the whiteout with color on the shower curtain and towels.

Double Sinks

Double sinks can go either way, really. In theory it allows two people to get ready at once. But who does it?

Over time, many home owners realize that double sinks sound good in theory, but in reality, they’d rather have the extra counter space than the option to brush their teeth simultaneously.

Don’t go out of your way to get rid of a perfectly good double sink. But when you do remodel, look into options like a single basin or a trough sink.

We’ve got more trends buyers hate to come! Stay tuned! And if there are bathroom trends that would break a sale in your book, let us know in the comments!

Many homeowners are now planning home and bath remodeling projects around their long-term future. More people are opting to age in place, remaining independent in their home and lifestyle throughout their senior years. Common upgrades now include ways to make your bathroom senior safe, and we’ve got some tips from SeniorHomes.com!

Consider Converting

With declining mobility, bathtubs can be difficult for seniors to get in and out of safely. Consider converting to a no-threshold shower instead.

For showers, the best choice is a roll-in shower that allows someone in a wheelchair to get into the shower without getting out of their chair. A shower seat is also a good option.

Provide Support

Bathroom accidents are high among seniors because of the many wet, slippery surfaces. Grab bars are absolutely necessary for aging at home.

Install a bar vertically near the entrance to the tub for support getting in and out of the tub or shower.

Add grab bars along the back and side walls to provide support while the person is standing on the wet surfaces.

Do not rely on a towel bar to hold in an emergency. It won’t. Although there are stylish grab bars which double as towels bars that you could use for dual purpose.

Think About Fixtures

A hand-held shower head offers the most flexibility and the ability to shower while seated. And change out all rounded knobs. Lever-shaped sink and bathtub handles are easier for people with reduced mobility to grasp and use.

Replace a standard faucet with one that has an anti-scald valve. These maintain the temperature of the water when the water pressure changes, preventing the user from getting burned…

Store Safely

Rethink your storage system, with an eye toward keeping the things you need most at a reachable height. And minimize the amount of unnecessary risk around wet surfaces.

Plan for accessible shower or tub shelf storage so that shampoo and soap are within easy reach.

With prior planning, aging in place is a safe and popular option for seniors. Do you have any tips or advice on making the bathroom safe and efficient? Let us know in the comments!

Many homeowners remodel the bathroom for their own comfort and enjoyment. But did you know…? Updating and staging your bathroom can add to the resale value of your house! We’ve got tips, via the Community Advocate, to help you make the small but smart changes that can really add up!

Because of their relatively small size in comparison to the rest of a home, bathrooms are often overlooked in the staging process, but for many buyers, it could be the most important room of all.

Start simple

Ditch the old shower curtain, and replace it with something that complements the room. Buy some fluffy, luxurious towels to make the room feel more comfortable and inviting.

Get a handle on it

Swap out your hardware. Everything from the cabinet knobs and drawer pulls to the fixtures themselves can be changed relatively quickly and inexpensively, whether you’re handy or not! And it’s an instant visual upgrade!

Accent pieces make a room

Throw in decorative accents of stone, tile, wood, or decorative glass. It could be just the thing to make your bathroom stand out in the memories of your potential buyers when they’re comparing homes.

Go green

Just not on the walls. Low-flow showerheads, dual-flush toilets and other water-saving upgrades will not only save you money, but the future homeowners as well.

Tackle the tub

Make the most of your bath and/or shower with updated fixtures. Consider whether you want an oversized shower in place of the tub, or a deeper soaking tub-and-shower combo.

Take another look

When buyers walk into a renovated bathroom that exudes quality and offers an intimate feel, it’s one of the top things that people will remember about a home.

Try to view your bathroom not as the same old room you’re in over and over all day, but from a fresh perspective. Make the room as inviting as possible, and let it help sell your home – at a higher final price!

Tile is one of the top choices for the bathroom, and for good reasons! It’s easy to clean and durable.

Maybe too durable.

You see, tile can last for decades, which is both a feature and a flaw. Because tile remains unchanged for years upon years, it’s cost effective over the long run. But also because tile remains unchanged for years upon years, we always caution against trendy styles.

We mean… think back to some of the clothes you wore proudly (and publicly) in decades past. 80’s, anyone?

A bathroom plastered with pastel-hued tile circa the 50s and 60s is the stuff of nightmares for design lovers. It’s just so incredibly pink (or green or blue). While you’re probably itching to tear it all down, fast, there are actually a few tricks to making retro tilework palatable—perhaps even lovable.

Now we’re experts with a bathtub… but when it comes to style, we admit that we’re not prepared to question real experts like the folks at AD. So what do they recommend?

No matter what you do, old-school tile will always be over the top, so you might as well embrace its loud personality and let it be the star of the show.

For everything but the tile stick with crisp, clean, and minimalist. Subdue a Mamie Pink bath from the 50’s with cool white paint and silver accessories.

Or soften harsh black and white with pale color, and keep a monochromatic theme through your accessories for a refreshing and polished look.

We admit, we may have been a little too absolute in our opinion on trendy tile. These bathrooms look really nice.

But what would really impress us is if someone could make that first bathroom (remember the 80’s nightmare?) somehow seem stylish again!

There’s a quick and easy way to increase the value of your home, and almost everyone can do it… Paint.

That may not seem like a revelation, but we’re not done.

Fresh paint adds instant appeal, and it’s one of the simplest DIY projects. But did you realize that your choice of color could have a significant impact on your resale price? Of course most reasonable people understand that painting the bathroom an unconventional color can have a negative impact. A new study from Zillow, however, has found that even mundane choices can have surprising results.

White is NOT all right.

Despite it’s popularity, it turns out white (or even off-white) is the single worst color you can choose to paint the bathroom.

On average, homes with a white bathroom sold for $4,035 less than comparables. White has long been a favorite of designers with it’s clean feel, but it can also seem sterile or clinical. If you were considering a fresh coat of crisp white before listing, better put down the brush!

The best value is BLUE.

According to the study, a case of the blues is exactly what you need.

Homes with blue bathrooms, often found in hues of powder blue or light periwinkle [pictured],sold for $5,440 more than expected, the highest sales premium of all colors analyzed.

Blue bathrooms have never gone completely out with designers, although they have been overshadowed by white. With the recent trend of white on white on white, they may be leaving buyers snowblind from the sheer absence of color.

According to Zillow expert Svenja Gudell the pale blues and neutrals make the space feel larger, and allow a prospective buyer to imagine the room as their own.

And there’s still room for white. Just not on the walls.

Incorporating light blue in kitchens and bathrooms may pay off especially well as the color complements white countertops and cabinets, a growing trend in both rooms.

So by simply painting your white bathroom periwinkle blue, you could conceivably raise the value of your home by almost $10,000! Seems well worth a gallon of paint and some elbow grease!

At one time, bathrooms were much smaller and more… well… utilitarian. The name “water closet” pretty much let you know you were heading into a tiny room with a specific purpose, and not to expect much.

With changes in design and technology, not to mention homeowner mindset, the once humble bathroom has now become one of the three most remodeled rooms in the modern home. Construction Dive breaks down what’s different today, and why bathroom remodels have gone from basic to custom jobs.

Bathrooms are taking on new importance in the home, regardless of their number or size, and each can be designed to shine.

According to the Census Bureau, 48 percent of all remodeling jobs last year focused on the bathroom! And people are investing more heavily into those renovations. The average range for a bathroom remodel is between $5,564 and $13,219, with the average cost at $9,381.

The guest or other bathroom is slightly more likely to be remodeled first. Many homeowners tend to leave the master bath until last because it is most often only seen by people living in the home.

Kids’ bathrooms are less likely to be juvenile in design these days, with more people opting for a room that will grow with their children. With modern, neutral elements making the room timeless, the only changes required as children age would be painting or updated accessories.

Likewise, homeowners are learning to anticipate their requirements if they plan to age-in-place.

One example of a popular trend that can also accommodate a wheelchair or walker later on is eliminating the shower dam to offer unobstructed passage between the bathroom floor and shower floor…

Grab bars that double as towel holders and shower seats are also good options to age-proof the bathroom.

And for those wondering what happened to the Jack-and-Jill bathrooms of decades past, Bishop said today’s remodelers often choose to close off one door or even separate the area into two distinct bathrooms, if the space is large enough.

What new bathroom design trends have you noticed or become interested in? Let us know in the comments!

Lets’s Rock!

Stone and stone looks in porcelain or quartz are covering walls and floors. But stone also is prominent in sink design, especially in integrated models.

But stone (and faux stone) are showing up all over the bathroom!

We really love this modern take on an earthy, rustic look!

There also are cantilevered versions that place surfaces on different levels, some even mixing media like wood or colored laminates.

Stylish Shapes!

The shapeliest of shapes, of course, have come in bathtub design. Architectural or sculptural, angular or curvy, asymmetrical or not, many of the designs are freestanding.

For awhile, the trend was to get rid of the bathtub altogether in favor of a larger shower. Now that tubs, particularly freestanding soaking tubs, are making a comeback, it’s nice to see an artistic element come into play.

Up in the Air!

Levitation is in!

Wall-hung toilets, most popular overseas, are catching on here as well. And most who own them applaud the practicality — especially for cleaning.

That might be the greatest selling point of these toilets… it’s ridiculously easy to clean the floor under and around them! No more wedging yourself into the gap beside the sink to try to clean the tiny space behind the toilet!

Plus, floating vanities are gaining traction. It’s most definitely a visual boost for smaller spaces, where conventional cabinets seem heavy and, in some cases, problematic when they’re squished into small areas that don’t allow much room for maintenance.

What do you think? Ready to rock your remodel? Let us know in the comments!